This Caribbean Island Famous for Diving, Food and Flamingos Is Seeing Record-Breaking Visitor Totals
It’s not just the flamingos that are flocking to Bonaire. The Dutch Caribbean island just set an all-time record for visitors last year, with a growing number of visitors drawn to the destination for its unique blend of low-key charm, a world-class culinary scene, unrivaled diving and, yes, those famous pink birds (the airport is even named for them).
Last year, Bonaire welcomed a total of 182,181 stayover visitors, the most in its history — and, perhaps more notably, a 16 percent over 2019, before the onset of the pandemic.
A major reason for the growth was, unsurprisingly, JetBlue’s landmark nonstop service to Bonaire from New York, a new route that kicked off in November and immediately gave the island a new position in one of the country’s most important travel markets.
In another big boost, Hilton just made its first-ever entry to Bonaire, with its Tapestry Collection brand taking over the Delfins Beach Resort, a resort we’ve stayed at multiple times and strongly recommend. That should also provide a significant lift from the American market.
But it isn’t just Americans who are accounting for all the growth.
The mainland Dutch market remains the dominant player for Bonaire, accounting for 45 percent of all visitors last year, with about 25 percent of travelers hailing from the US.
It’s a big sign for the little island and, more broadly, the ABC islands (including nearby Aruba and Curacao), which are posting some of the strongest tourism growth rates in the whole Caribbean.
Are you planning a visit to Bonaire? We love Delfins, as locals call it, and you can find prices for rooms as low as $172 per night.
The top luxury resort on the island is another CJ favorite: the Harbour Village Beach Club, which boasts the best beach of any hotel on the island — and an unmatched, serene vibe (we named it Caribbean Hotel of the Year back in 2024). Rooms from $295 per night.
And yes, the diving is as good as anywhere in the world. If that’s the focus of your trip, there’s nowhere better than the Buddy Dive resort. (Rooms from around $443.40 per night based on seven-day vacations).
So what about flying to Bonaire?
You can reach the island from several top US source markets, including Miami, Newark, Houston and New York on carriers like Delta, American, United and JetBlue.
WestJet also flies to Bonaire from Toronto once a week.
What about flight prices? They vary, of course, but you can find JetBlue flights for about $603 next month, and Newark flights on United from $603 as well, according to Google Flights.
The Miami-Bonaire route is in high demand right now, with some tickets nearing $2,000 roundtrip.
